Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
APPENDIX F
397
Group of the Association of American Universities. He previously served on the NRC Committee on Solar
and Space Physics.
EBERHARD MOEBIUS is a professor of physics at the University of New Hampshire. He worked as a
research scientist at the Max Planck Institut für extraterrestrische Physik in Germany, and has been on the
physics faculty at University of New Hampshire. His research interests include the acceleration of ions in
Earth’s magnetosphere, in interplanetary space, and in solar flares; the interaction of interstellar gas with
the solar wind; and the study of the local interstellar medium. Dr. Moebius’s group is finishing the PLASTIC
instrument to measure the solar wind and suprathermal ion composition for NASA’s STEREO mission and
is involved in several studies for future missions to Earth’s magnetosphere and the heliosphere. He earned
his Ph.D. in laboratory plasma physics at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany.
MERAV OPHER is an assistant professor of astronomy at Boston University. Prior to that, Dr. Opher was
an associate professor at George Mason University and was a research scientist at JPL, where she conducted research on the interaction between the solar and interstellar winds found at the edge of the solar
system. As a postdoctoral associate with the Plasma Group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at
UCLA, she investigated the effects of electromagnetic fluctuations on nuclear reaction rates and how these
plasma effects can influence stellar evolution and early universe calculations. Her research interests focus
on plasma effects in space physics and astrophysics. Dr. Opher received a Ph.D. in plasma astrophysics
from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. She served on the NRC Committee on Solar and Space Physics.
JESPER SCHOU is currently a senior research scientist at Stanford University. Dr. Schou is the instrument
scientist and co-investigator for the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on SDO. His research interests
include solar variability, solar magnetic activity, and helioseismology. He has written over 70 refereed
papers. Dr. Schou holds a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Aarhus. He has been chairman of
the GONG Data Management and Analysis Center Users Committee, a member of the NASA Solar and
Heliospheric Management Operations Working Group, and a member of the scientific organizing committees for SOHO14/GONG 2004, SDO 2008, and SOHO 24.
NATHAN A. SCHWADRON is an associate professor of astronomy at Boston University and the science
operations lead for the Interstellar Boundary Explorer Mission. Dr. Schwadron’s previous experience
includes positions as a senior research scientist, a principal scientist and a staff scientist at the SwRI in San
Antonio, Texas, an assistant research scientist at the University of Michigan, a senior research scientist at
the International Space Science Institute in Bern, Switzerland, and a postdoctoral scholar in the University
of Michigan’s Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Science Department. His research interests include heliospheric phenomena related to the solar wind, the heliospheric magnetic field, pickup ions, cometary X
rays, energetic particles, and cosmic rays. He received a B.A. with honors in physics from Oberlin College
and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan. Dr. Schwadron served on the NRC Committee on
Priorities for Space Science Enabled by Nuclear Power and Propulsion and is a member of the Committee
on Solar and Space Physics.
AMY R. WINEBARGER is an astrophysicist at NASA MSFC. She previously worked as an assistant professor at Alabama A&M University, a research scientist at NRL, and an astrophysicist at the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory. Her research interests include solar coronal heating, solar flare heating, energy
growth and release in coronal mass ejections, comparisons between simulation results and observables,
analysis of spectroscopic and filter data, development and testing of filter response functions, and hydro-
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
APPENDIX F
397
Group of the Association of American Universities. He previously served on the NRC Committee on Solar
and Space Physics.
EBERHARD MOEBIUS is a professor of physics at the University of New Hampshire. He worked as a
research scientist at the Max Planck Institut für extraterrestrische Physik in Germany, and has been on the
physics faculty at University of New Hampshire. His research interests include the acceleration of ions in
Earth’s magnetosphere, in interplanetary space, and in solar flares; the interaction of interstellar gas with
the solar wind; and the study of the local interstellar medium. Dr. Moebius’s group is finishing the PLASTIC
instrument to measure the solar wind and suprathermal ion composition for NASA’s STEREO mission and
is involved in several studies for future missions to Earth’s magnetosphere and the heliosphere. He earned
his Ph.D. in laboratory plasma physics at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany.
MERAV OPHER is an assistant professor of astronomy at Boston University. Prior to that, Dr. Opher was
an associate professor at George Mason University and was a research scientist at JPL, where she conducted research on the interaction between the solar and interstellar winds found at the edge of the solar
system. As a postdoctoral associate with the Plasma Group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at
UCLA, she investigated the effects of electromagnetic fluctuations on nuclear reaction rates and how these
plasma effects can influence stellar evolution and early universe calculations. Her research interests focus
on plasma effects in space physics and astrophysics. Dr. Opher received a Ph.D. in plasma astrophysics
from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. She served on the NRC Committee on Solar and Space Physics.
JESPER SCHOU is currently a senior research scientist at Stanford University. Dr. Schou is the instrument
scientist and co-investigator for the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on SDO. His research interests
include solar variability, solar magnetic activity, and helioseismology. He has written over 70 refereed
papers. Dr. Schou holds a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Aarhus. He has been chairman of
the GONG Data Management and Analysis Center Users Committee, a member of the NASA Solar and
Heliospheric Management Operations Working Group, and a member of the scientific organizing committees for SOHO14/GONG 2004, SDO 2008, and SOHO 24.
NATHAN A. SCHWADRON is an associate professor of astronomy at Boston University and the science
operations lead for the Interstellar Boundary Explorer Mission. Dr. Schwadron’s previous experience
includes positions as a senior research scientist, a principal scientist and a staff scientist at the SwRI in San
Antonio, Texas, an assistant research scientist at the University of Michigan, a senior research scientist at
the International Space Science Institute in Bern, Switzerland, and a postdoctoral scholar in the University
of Michigan’s Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Science Department. His research interests include heliospheric phenomena related to the solar wind, the heliospheric magnetic field, pickup ions, cometary X
rays, energetic particles, and cosmic rays. He received a B.A. with honors in physics from Oberlin College
and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan. Dr. Schwadron served on the NRC Committee on
Priorities for Space Science Enabled by Nuclear Power and Propulsion and is a member of the Committee
on Solar and Space Physics.
AMY R. WINEBARGER is an astrophysicist at NASA MSFC. She previously worked as an assistant professor at Alabama A&M University, a research scientist at NRL, and an astrophysicist at the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory. Her research interests include solar coronal heating, solar flare heating, energy
growth and release in coronal mass ejections, comparisons between simulation results and observables,
analysis of spectroscopic and filter data, development and testing of filter response functions, and hydro-